How a Sports Doctor Can Help with Hip and Groin Pain in AFL Players
October 2025
By Essendon Sports Medicine Team
If you’ve played AFL, coached a team, or have a child who’s involved, chances are you’ve heard someone say, “It’s just a tight groin.”
But sometimes, it’s not just tight — it’s sore, it keeps coming back, and it starts affecting your kicking, sprinting, and even walking.
Hip and groin pain is one of the most common problems in AFL — and also one of the most frustrating.
It doesn’t always show up on scans. It can feel fine one day and flare up the next.
So how do you figure out what’s really going on?
That’s where a sports doctor can help.
What Does a Sports Doctor Do for Hip & Groin Pain?
A sports doctor is a medical specialist trained to look at injuries from all angles — not just the muscles or joints.
We ask the right questions, do a thorough physical exam, and if needed, use scans like ultrasound, X-rays or MRIs to get a full picture.
Unlike general doctors, we spend most of our time working with athletes, from elite AFL players to weekend warriors.
That means we know what groin pain in AFL players usually looks like — and how it can surprise us when it doesn’t follow the usual pattern.
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Why Groin Pain Is Tricky in AFL
Groin pain in AFL players can come from a few different places:
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The adductor muscles (on the inside of the thigh)
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The pubic bone area (often called osteitis pubis)
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The hip joint (including labral tears or impingement)
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The abdominal wall (sometimes called a sports hernia)
Sometimes, it’s more than one of these at the same time. That’s why groin pain can be confusing. Just treating one part might not fix the whole problem.
How We Find the Real Cause of Hip and Groin Pain
One of the most helpful tools we use is diagnostic ultrasound, which we have available onsite. This lets us see your muscles, tendons, and joints while you move — in real time. It helps us check for:
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Muscle tears or strains
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Inflammation around tendons or the pubic bone
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Hip joint issues that may need further imaging
Ultrasound is fast, safe, and gives us instant feedback. If we need more detail, we may refer for an MRI — but often the ultrasound helps us make decisions straight away.
Early Treatment = Faster Return to Play
The earlier you come in, the better your chance of staying on the field.
Waiting too long can turn a small issue into a longer recovery. For example, a mild adductor strain might take 2–3 weeks to settle. But if you keep training through it, it can become chronic, and then you’re looking at 6–12 weeks or more.
As sports doctors, we create a clear plan that often includes:
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Load management (adjusting how much and how hard you train)
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Pain control if needed (oral medication or localised injections)
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Hands-on therapy with a physio or osteo
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A gradual return-to-sport pathway
We also work closely with your physio, S&C coach, or team trainer to keep everyone on the same page.
Return-to-Play Testing for Hip & Groin Pain
Coming back too early is a common mistake. Just because the pain is gone doesn’t mean the injury is healed — or strong enough for full-speed AFL movements like kicking, twisting, or tackling.
That’s why we run return-to-play testing, which may include:
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Strength testing of your groin and hip muscles
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Change-of-direction drills
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Agility and sprint assessments
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Sport-specific skills like kicking under pressure
This helps us know if you're truly ready — or if there’s still a risk of breaking down again.
Our goal is always the same: Get you back on the field safely, and keep you there.
Do You Need a Scan or Just Rest for Hip & Groin Pain?
One of the most common questions we hear is:
“Should I get a scan or just give it a few weeks off?”
The answer depends on how long the pain has been there, how it started, and what your goals are. As a general rule:
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Pain that lasts longer than 2 weeks, or
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Pain that returns each time you train, or
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Pain that’s sharp, deep, or affecting your walk
…should be checked by a sports doctor. You don’t need to be a professional athlete to get help — early advice can make all the difference.
What Most Blogs Don’t Tell You
Many articles focus only on physio rehab, or suggest generic stretching and foam rolling. These are great tools — but they don’t work for every kind of groin pain.
Here’s what most blogs skip:
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Groin pain can come from the hip joint itself, even if the hip feels fine.
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Osteitis pubis isn’t always the correct diagnosis — it’s often overused when other causes are missed.
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Ultrasound can spot subtle issues that don’t show up on a normal physical exam.
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Not all groin pain needs rest — sometimes, targeted strengthening is the answer.
When to See a Sports Doctor for Hip & Groin Pain
If your groin pain is:
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Lasting more than 10–14 days
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Getting worse with kicking or sprinting
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Coming and going over weeks or months
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Affecting your performance or confidence
…then it’s time to get it assessed properly.
As sports doctors, we’re here to diagnose the cause, plan your treatment, and guide your return to sport. You don’t need to wait until it’s “really bad” — in fact, that’s the worst time to start.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Push Through Hip & Groin Pain
In AFL, it’s easy to feel pressure to “tough it out” — especially in finals season or when you're fighting for selection. But long-term groin pain can drag on for months, and even end seasons early.
Seeing a sports doctor early means:
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Faster diagnosis
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Smarter treatment
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Safer return to play
If you're dealing with hip or groin pain — or not sure what’s going on — don’t guess. Come in, get assessed, and build a proper plan to get back on the field strong.
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📍 We have onsite diagnostic ultrasound and offer full return-to-play testing.
Whether you're in-season or off-season, book an appointment and let’s figure out what’s going on — and what to do next.
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